Lucy was in the makeup studio doing a series of vocal warmups.

It was finally the first day of rehearsal. She had spent that morning in the gym, with Gajeel, to physically prepare her for today's shoot.

She hadn't noticed it herself, but she remembered Alice telling her that she'd improved a lot in terms of stamina, as– according to the young receptionist– she used to walk around half-dead after one of their sessions.

Lucy snickered mid-lip-roll as her mind replayed Alice's theatrical impression of her.

There was a gentle knock on the door, followed by a short, blonde woman strolling inside. It was Mavis, the author of the original 'Feather in the Night' comic.

Lucy remembered how excited she was to be working with her upon first hearing of the comic's adaptation.

Mavis Vermillion had been her favourite writer since she was a pre-teen. She would often spend her nights under the covers, with a flashlight, reading her works. It was because of her she'd helped Gildarts convince her father to cast her for the series.

"Hey, Lucy!" Mavis greeted, her voice as cheerful as always. "How are you feeling?"

"To be honest..." Lucy started, her smile faltering anxiously. "I'm feeling a little nervous."

It was a strange feeling for her if she was being honest. Back when she was an idol, she was rarely nervous and growing up, she was never camera shy. But today, she couldn't help but be a little.

Mavis laughed softly. "That's perfectly normal," she reassured her. "It's expected to have some nerves."

She pulled out her purse, carrying out a copy of the first volume of the comic. "Let me just tell you this."

She raised it so it was level with Lucy's face, then turned it towards the mirror, gesturing for Lucy to follow.

"You're perfect for this role, Lucy. Gildarts couldn't have found a better actress."

"Thank you, Mavis," she smiled at her warmly.

"So cheer up, you'll be great."

"Yeah," she grinned. "I'm all fired up!"

With that, she made her way to the main studio.

The rest of the cast was already there. Since it was merely a rehearsal, their character costumes were still safely stored away, so everyone was wearing their tracksuits instead.

Gildarts gained her attention by whistling and pointing her to her spot, a white cross in the middle of the stage.

When everyone was in their place, the first scene began.

★ ★ ★

Iris was in her room, looking out of her window as she sighed. She gazed longingly at the outside world, yearning for freedom.

She'd never really been outside. Save for the few trips to the park as a little girl, she'd been stuck in the mansion for most of her life.

Her father was a wealthy man; the owner of a large dynasty of hotels across the country. Being his only child and heir to his fortune, he was madly overprotective of her.

From homeschooling to athletics, all her activities were confined to her home, where she was told she was safe.

She watched the people in her back garden. Her stepmother was hosting one of her frequent tea parties. The place was bustling with guests and servants, making the garden seem livelier than it normally was when she took a look outside.

Just then, a rabbit made its appearance, crashing the party. Her stepmother squealed in fright and fell off her chair. The rest of the guests scattered wildly as Iris watched, giggling at the show.

Just then she spotted a small gap below the fence, where the rabbit had hopped out of. Her eyes widened. An opening.

The animal had dug a small hole in the ground, leading to the street outside. She stared at it intensely. She never thought of escaping her home, just seeing the outside for a day.

Surely people would notice.

This was risky...

But she couldn't lose this opportunity. So, when the guests had finally left and her stepmother finally returned inside, she took her leave.

It was surprisingly easy. The gap was small, just about the size of two small bunnies, but she dug it a little deeper and slipped through, sliding herself between the ground and the bottom of the fence until she was finally outside.

When she caught her breath, she let out a surprised sound of delight.

The town in front of her was so loud and busy, bustling with townspeople. She was greeted with a cacophony of sights and sounds that overwhelmed her curious senses.

Crowds of people rushed past, their footsteps echoing against the pavement. The air was thick with the smell of street food, a stark contrast to the clean, organic smells of her kitchen.

A hand was placed over her mouth, and she couldn't smell anything anymore. She made a muffled sound of surprise.

"Stay quiet if you want to live," a low voice growled.

She watched, eyes wide as she watched his partner open the trunk of a small van and turn toward her. She let out a yelp as she was forcefully grabbed by the wrist and thrown inside.

The kidnappers drove her to a second location. She found herself in a dark room, seemingly underground by the sounds and vibrations she felt coming from above. One of the men walked in, carrying a phone.

"Listen up," he spoke. Iris listened intently.

'Why does she look so intrigued...'  the man thought to himself.

"You've been kidnapped and are being held for ransom," he explained, ignoring her curious gaze.

"Your dad owes the bossman a sum of money," the other guy chipped in. "If you stay quiet and he pays up, this should all go smoothly."

Iris's demeanour faltered. Her father was right, she should've never gone outside. The outside world was dangerous, she'd barely been a few minutes free before she was taken captive.

Her eyes started to tear up.

"Don't tell me you're crying–"

The man was interrupted by a loud sound above them, followed by a large crash as both men were crushed to the ground by a falling figure.

Iris looked at their faces in shock– they were rendered completely unconscious.

She moved her gaze to the culprit. It was a tall man, around her age, if not a few years older. He had dark, black hair, but it looked dark purple in the room's lighting.

When he met her eyes, he immediately ran towards her, untying her hands and removing the bandana from her mouth. She felt herself admiring his face. He was handsome...

"You okay?" he asked, once she was completely free. She nodded in response.

"You should leave quickly, it's dangerous around here," he told her and stood up, pressing a button on his watch.

He started to talk into it. It sounded like he was reporting something; the takedown of the two men he'd just ambushed. When he was done, he put his watch away and swiftly left.

As she watched him disappear, something in her snapped. She decided to follow him.

➶➶➶

The cold air blew through Night's hair as he landed on the helicopter pad. He had made it back to headquarters.

He wasted no time to head inside, making his way to the superior's office. As he was waiting for Miss Fortune's arrival, Knightwalker entered the room.

"Night," she said in pleasant surprise. "You're back. How was your mission?"

"It went well," Night smiled proudly.

"Glad to hear it," Knightwalker nodded in approval. The door opened once more, revealing another spy entering the room.

Upon noticing Night's presence, his smug grin was wiped off his face and replaced with a deadpan expression.

"Oh. You made it back," Frost said plainly.

"I did," Night responded.

The tension between them held thick in the air. Knightwalker groaned in annoyance, all too used to their constant rivalry. She cleared her throat.

"He did a good job on this mission," she told Frost. "I'm sure Miss Fortune will be very pleased."

Frost gave a fake snicker.

"He only wishes he could compare to me," Frost stated, as if it were a simple fact.

"Why you..." Night growled.

"Cut! Stop!" Gildarts pulled them out of the scene. "Guys. You're only acting, remember?" he waved for them to calm down

Natsu and Gray backed up from each other, laughing awkwardly as they shook hands in a silent apology.

Erza held her nose bridge and Lucy snickered, amused.

The rehearsal continued. They were now in the middle of Iris's first training session with Night.

"Shh," Night shushed Iris as they stealthily walked through the dimly lit halls.

Their mission was to retrieve a million-dollar painting from some rich man, while he and his guests were distracted by the party down the main hall.

Iris pulled a bobby pin out of her hair and used it to unlock the door to the mansion's living room. When they were inside, Night switched the light on.

All four walls were covered with paintings, all to do with death and war. It gave Iris an unsettling chill.

"Creepy," she grimaced.

"Better get used to it," Night replied, scanning the room for their target.

Iris strolled through the room, intrigued. Next to the couch was a statue, which wasn't a very convenient place for one. She took a closer look, then gagged.

"This man's so self-centred he has statues of himself in his home?!"

She suddenly tripped, causing the statue to topple over. It swayed violently with a loud creaking noise before she eventually steadied it, sweating nervously.

"Dammit!" Night cursed. "I told you not to touch anything!"

"Who's there?!" a low voice boomed from the hallway.

Both of their eyes widened. Iris walked around in frantic circles as Night rushed to turn off the light.

"Someone's in the living room," another voice echoed.

"Shit!" Iris cursed and Night covered her mouth, muffling any other sounds she could make.

He leaned his head towards the door, checking the outside for footsteps as he pressed her against the wall.

When he heard the people coming closer, he sighed in annoyance. His eyes met Irises. They couldn't leave– not like this. Normally, he could climb the wall and hide spider-style on the ceiling. But Iris was too new for that. She couldn't handle it– she'd fall onto the floor and blow the mission.

He had one choice.

Lucy's eyes were shut tight in anticipation. She knew what was coming: the iconic kiss cover.

In the comic, Night kissed Iris just as the two men entered the room, then excused them by saying they were a couple who just wanted some privacy away from the party.

Natsu placed both his hands gently on her face. The room was already silent– to let the actors concentrate– but now, the silence was amplified.

He leaned in, pushing some of her misplaced blonde strands behind her ear as he slowly moved his face closer to hers.

But before their lips could meet, he moved his thumb between them, blocking any contact as he pressed harder, deepening the fake kiss for the camera's view.

"And scene," Gildarts called, satisfied.

Everyone clapped, glad to be wrapping up the first rehearsal. Natsu wordlessly moved away from Lucy and left the stage, joining the male actors on their way to their dressing room.

Lucy blinked. Then she scoffed. Then she let out a fake laugh.

Mirajane patted her on the back, giggling along with her.

"I know, that was great, wasn't it?" she laughed as she pulled her to the girl's dressing room.

Lucy couldn't stop laughing. "He blocked the kiss? Why wouldn't he want to kiss her?"

She walked out of the studio, hand in Mira's, in a confused daze.

"That's my self-esteem thrown down the hole..."

★ ★ ★

Natsu took off his sweats and wiped the sweat off his brow before entering the bathroom.

A few male actors applauded him for his performance as they made their way out.

He nodded at Gray, who was washing his hands. He whistled at him playfully in response.

"Woah, Pinky," he snickered. "You're all red. What, never kissed a girl before?"

He jabbed him teasingly in the rib. Natsu laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Nah, I'm probably just becoming allergic. Must be picking up your condition."

Gray playfully pushed him out of the way and headed out the door. Natsu shook his head with a chuckle.

When he opened his eyes, he caught a glimpse of his face in the bathroom mirror. He was taken aback as he noticed the colour in his cheeks.

They really were pink...

★ ★ ★

hehe